What medicine should I use for babies with food allergies?

If the baby's food allergy only shows mild skin symptoms such as skin erythema, papules, wheals and slight itching, the first priority is to apply weak glucocorticoid ointments such as desonide cream and hydrocortisone butyrate cream. If there are no ulcers, you can also apply calamine lotion to relieve itching. If the skin has been ulcerated and oozing, apply wet compresses to dry it before considering applying medicine. Once systemic symptoms such as shortness of breath, vomiting, facial swelling, etc. are combined, any external medicine will be useless and you must seek medical attention immediately.

I just dealt with a relative's 2-year-old child's allergy a while ago. The child secretly took a bite of his father's dried mango while the adults were not paying attention. Within half an hour, his chin and cheeks turned red, and he also developed a dense rash. The child was so itchy that he rubbed the adult's clothes. The elderly at home insisted on applying the "Pure Plant Baby Eczema Cream" purchased through Wechat. They said hormones were not good for babies, so I stopped him and applied a thin layer of desonide. That afternoon, most of the rash was gone. It took two days to apply it, but it was completely healed without leaving any traces.

In fact, many parents have concerns about whether hormone ointments can be used for babies with allergies, fearing that using them will cause premature puberty and darken the skin. This is also a point of great controversy on the Internet. One group is firmly against hormones and everything must be natural, while the other group is to follow the doctor's advice and use regular weak hormones. In fact, it is currently recognized by pediatric dermatology that weak glucocorticoids are completely safe for babies' thin and tender skin when used continuously for no more than 1 week. They are metabolized quickly and will not enter the blood circulation and affect the body. On the contrary, many anti-rash products that claim to be "hormone-free and natural" secretly add powerful hormones in violation of regulations. Long-term use will lead to skin atrophy and abnormal pigmentation, and the risk is much higher. There is really no need to talk about hormone discoloration.

Of course, it is not possible to apply hormone ointment directly in all situations. If the baby scratches the skin too hard and scratches the skin, and transparent tissue fluid oozes out, don't rush to apply the ointment at this time. First soak sterile gauze with saline solution and apply it on the ulcerated area for about 10 minutes. Apply it 2-3 times a day. Wait until the wound is dry and no longer seeps before applying the ointment. Otherwise, the ointment will be stuffy on the wet wound surface, which may easily induce infection. Also, if the allergy causes swollen wheals and the itching is particularly severe, you can temporarily apply some calamine lotion. The coolness can quickly relieve the itching, but if the skin is broken, don't use it, as it will make the baby cry in pain.

Finally, I have to remind you that topical medications are actually just a "stopgap measure" to relieve skin symptoms. Since it is a food allergy, the most fundamental thing is to remember the allergens this time and avoid touching this kind of food for the next 3-6 months. Otherwise, it will happen again next time, and it may even get worse each time. If the allergy is not just a rash, but is also accompanied by the child being short of breath, hoarse in the throat, vomiting non-stop, and the eyes and lips are swollen, don’t waste time applying medicine at home and go to the hospital immediately. In this case, you may need to take oral antihistamines or even epinephrine in severe cases. Topical medicines cannot solve the problem at all.